Apparatus for treating glassware



Oct. 14, 1952 c. E. MoNGAN, JR

APPARATUS FOR T REATING GLASSWARE Filed Sept. 23, 1942 f 6 e a? l W if Z e l [f to effect tempering of such article.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 Charles E. Mongan, Jr., Hartford, Conn., assignor to Emhart Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1942, Serial No. 459,362

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating glassware, especially to improve the strength thereof.

The present invention provides novel means for surface-treating bottles or other hollow glass "articles to strengthen the walls thereof.

According to the present invention, jets of flame may be applied to the internal and exter- Inal surfaces of each bottle or other hollow glass article that is to be treated to lire polish such surfaces and thereby eradicate minute or incipient fissures, checks and other `surface irregularities. The jets of flame may be discontinued or reduced to the desired extent when the fire polishing has been effected and the glass article may be chilled rapidly at its surfaces as required The outer and inner surface layers of the wall of the tempered article will be under compression and the glass intermediate such surface layers will be Ain tension.

The invention may be used advantageously to vtreat newly made glassware on the removal of such glassware from a forming machine by which it was made and while the glassware retains considerable heat incident to its manufacture. Such van article may require little, if any, externally applied heating to bring its temperature suiiiciently above the strain'point of the glass thereof to adapt the article to be temperedby the application of a suitable chilling medium, such as air, tothe inner and outer surfaces thereof.

heat to the surfaces thereof. If the articles to be tempered have been cooled to room temperature or to any other temperature below that at which it is desired to start the tempering operation, this being a temperature substantially above that of the strain point of the glass, the jets of flame may be applied to the surfaces of the wall of the article for the time and with the intensity required to heat the glass of such wall to the starting temperature desired before the chilling operation is commenced.

The present invention obviates factors resulting from minute fissures, checks and faults in glass the surface portions of the walls of glass articles -gitudinally of the nozzle.

that are to be tempered and makes such surfaces more smooth and regular and thus tends to make the tempered articles stronger than would be the case were these fissures, checks, faults and surfaces irregularities present during the chilling of such walls to effect tempering thereof. The fire polishing also tends to improve the appearance of the surfaces of the tempered articles.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be pointed out or will become apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view, mainly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, of a device for applying Vjets 'of flame and of chilling fluid to the internal and external surfaces of a hollow glass article;

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

An illustrative device of simple construction, as shown in Fig. l, comprises a nozzle I0 which is shown depending centrally within an upright article of glassware, such as the bottle I I, carried by a rotary holder I2. The nozzle Ill is of sufficient length to extend from a level above that of the open upper end or mouth of the bottle nearly to the bottom thereof. The nozzle is shown as having a longitudinally extending central passage I3 and one or more (three in the example shown) additional longitudinally eX,- tending passages lil. The longitudinally extending central passage I3 may be closed at its rearward end, which in the example shown is uppermost, as at I5, Fig. 1, and also, as at I6, at its forward end, which in this case is at the lower free end portion of the nozzle. Jet holes I'I extend from the central passage i3 laterally through the side wall of the hollow nozzle at predetermined places circumferentially and lon- Additicnal jet holes, as indicated at I8, may extend from the lower end of the central passage I3 through the wall of the nozzle at the bottom or free end thereof.

The longitudinally extending passages I4 are shown as being of smaller area in cross section than the passage I3 and as being located in the wall of the nozzle at places which are spaced regularly about the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and are radially outward from-the central passage i3. The longitudinal passages I4, like the longitudinal passage I3, may be closedi-at their rearward (upper) and forward (lower) ends and each may be provided at intervals along its length with spaced jet holes I9 extending radial- 1y outward therefrom to the outer periphery of the nozzle and with further jet holes, as indicated at 20, Fig. l, in the lower or bottom end wall of the nozzle.

As hereinafter will be explained, a mixture of a combustible fluid and air may be supplied to the central passage I3 and jets of flame applied from the jet holes I1 and I8 to the inner surface of the bottle. Air may be supplied through thev f ,c plurality: of cooperative clamping members r jaws 52 may be employed. These may be made longitudinal passages I4 and the jet. holes I9. and 2U to support combustion Awithin the bottle and subsequently the supply of combustible iluid may be cut off and air continued from all the.

jet holes to chill the wall of the bottle at its inner surface.

The nozzle ID may be connected at its upper end, as by a piston rod 2|, to a piston 22` which is reciprocable in a vertical cylinder 23. The cylinder 23 may be carried by a support 24, to which it may be attached in any vsuitable manner, asby cap bolts such as that indicated at 25.

The lower head of the cylinder 23 may comprise a counterbored tubular portion 26 adapted to accommodate a sleeve 21 which is mounted on the'upper end portion of the nozzle IIJ for movement with the latter and also for a limited axial movement relative to the nozzle. As shown, the sleeve 21 is slidable on a reduced portion 28 of the nozzle. A coil spring '29 encircles the piston rod between the upper end of the sleeve 21 and the piston 22 and tends t0 urge the sleeve 21 axially along the nozzle toward a limit shoulder 69 at the lower end of the reduced portion 28 thereof.

The function of this assembly will presently be pointed out.

Operating fluid under pressure may be supplied to and exhausted from the lower portion of the cylinder 23 through a pipe 30 and to and from the upper portion of the cylinder through a pipe 3|.

A combustible fluid, such as gas, may be supplied by a pipe 32 to a mixing pipe 33 with which an air supply pipe 34 also is connected. The pipe 33 may be connected to the lower head portion 2G of the cylinder 23 so as to supply a combustible mixture of the air and gas to a passage 35. The passage 35 is in register with a radial port 36 in the sleeve 21 when the piston 2'2 is atthe lower end of its stroke in the cylinder and the sleeve 21 is in contact at its lower end with the shoulder at the lower end of the counterbore in the lower head portion 26 of the cylinder, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The port 35 in the sleeve 21 communicates through an annular vgroove or passage 31 at the periphery of the nozzle I0 with radial ports 38 which extend through the wall of the nozzle to the upper end portion of the central passage I3 therein.

An air supply pipe 39 is connected to the lower head portion 26 of the cylinder 23 to supply air to aradial. passage 48 in such head portion.

When the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1,V the passage 48 is in register with a radial port 4I in the sleeve valve 21. The port 4| communicates through an external annular groove or passage 42 in the nozzle I0 with the respective` longitudinal passages I4.

The pipes 32 and 34 may be provided with valves 44 and 45, respectively, for controlling flow of fluids therethrough. These are shown diagrammatically, They may be manually operable. A suitable check valve 46 may be provided in thelmixing pipe 33. A fluid flow consuing from; the-holes I1 and I8.

andfzaplurality of substantially flat supporting' arms 5I extending radially outward from the upper end 0f the hub. To hold the bottle firmly on the holder I2 for rotation therewith, a

ofA asbestos or other heat resistant material.

" They may be mounted upon the arms 5I so as to be slid'thereon into and out of gripping relation tothe lower end portion of the bottle I I on the support. As shown, screws 53 are threaded through'suitable openings in upturned end p0rtions 5IEL of the arms 5| and are pivotally connected at their inner ends with the clamping members 52 for moving such members on the arms as required to grip and hold the bottle II .rmly on the holder I2 or to release such article. The shaft 50 may beA the driven shaft of a driving mechanism which is shown diagrammatically at 54 in-Fig. 1 as it may be of any suitableknown structure.

The vstructural arrangements just described for supporting and rotating .the bottle and for supporting the nozzle in position to depend within the bottle are such as to cause a relative rotation between the bottle and the nozzle about an axis .that is approximately coincidentv with the longitudinal axes of both the bottle andthe nozzle. Any other suitable mechanism for eiecting this result may be employed.

The invention also contemplates application of flame jets and coolingiiuid jets to the outer surface of the glass article II. To this. end, I may provide an external tubular nozzle 55 which may be supported in a depending position. at one side of the glass article,as by ay bracket 56 attached to the support 24. The tubular nozzle 55 may have aninternal passage 51 extending longitudinally thereof. This passage may be closed at its upper and lower ends and may communicate adjacent to its upper end with a gas and air mixer pipe 58. An air supply pipe 59 and a gas supply pipe 60 are connected operatively to the mixer pipe 58. .The air pipe 59 may,V be provided with a suitable control valve 6| and the gas pipe 60 may have a similar control Valve 62.

The external nozzle 55fmay-be bent to conform generally to the external longitudinal contour ofv the` glass article to be treated and so that jet holes 63 in the side ofsuch nozzle next to the glass article will discharge jets of fluid from the passage 51 onto the outer surface of the glass article II. The number, size and spacing yof these jet holes may be predetermined as service conditions seem to require.

The operation of the structure as described will be readily understood. When the inner nozzle I0 is in its lowered,y activeI position within a rotating bottle on the-rotating holder I2, as shown in Fig. l, the Valves 44 and 45 will have been opened to the desired extents to supply a desirable combustible mixture of air` and gas to the nozzle passage I3 and the jet holes I1 and I8. The valve 41 also may have lbeen opened to the desired, extent Ito provide combustion supporting or secondary air within the bottle for the jets is- TheV air supplied by the pipe 34 may be at a lower pressure than that supplied by the pipe 39. The jets issuing from the holes i7 and I8 may have been ignited in any suitable way. If the bottle has been transferred directly from its forming machine to the holder l2, these jets will be ignited by the hot glass of the bottle itself. If the bottle is cold when the nozzle I0 is lowered into it, then any usual and available igniting means may be used.

The valves controlling the air and gas supply pipes of the outer nozzle also may have been opened to the desired extents so that a desirable combustible mixture of gas and air will be discharged from the jet holes 63. The jets issuing from these holes also may have been ignited in any suitable way.

With the inner and outer nozzle systems active as just described, the bottle will be subjected throughout its inner and outer surfaces to heat from jets of flame. The jet holes supplying the flame jets to different portions of the wall of the bottle, as to portions of different thickness, may be of different sizes or differently directed so that different jets have different heating effects if such differences are deemed desirable or necessary. If the glass of the bottle wall retains considerable heat incident to its manufacture, but little additional heating thereof by the flame jets may be required to raise the temperature of such glass to the tempering temperature point. This, as aforesaid, is above the strain point of the glass but is not high enough to cause the bottle wall to be deformed or slump objectionably. If the glass article is at a lower temperature when the flame jets are applied thereto, these may be regulated to impart heat to the glass relatively rapidly but not with suiiicient intensity to melt the surface glass until the temperature of the glass bottle wall is nearly at the tempering temperature point. The intensity of the llame jets then may be increased for momentary application to the surface of the glass wall to aid the fire polishing eifect of such jets as the glass of the wall arrives at its tempering temperature point.

When the glass of the bottle wall has been heated to its tempering temperature point, the combustible fluid or gas control valves may be closed. The valves controlling the flow of air are adjusted, if desirable, to produce the desired chilling eifect of the jets of air on the inner and outer surfaces of the wall of the glass bottle. This may involve opening further the valves controlling ilow of both the primary and secondary air to the inner nozzle and of the valve controlling the flow air to the outer nozzle.

When the rapid chilling of the glass Wall of the bottle to a temperature below its strain point has been effected, the flow of air to the nozzles may be reduced for further cooling of the bottle. When the desired cooling of the bottle has been accomplished, the air control valves may be closed or may be returned to their proper settings for the next ire polishing operation. The piston 22 is caused to move upwardly in its cylinder to raise the nozzle l0 from the bottle. The rotation of the holder l2 may be stopped and the bottle released from and removed from such holder. It will be noted that the spring 29, Fig. 1, will hold the sleeve 21 down against its support during the initial part of the upward movement of the nozzle so that communication between the passages in the nozzle I0 and the ports of the sleeve will be cut off before the sleeve is moved upwardly into the cylinder by further upward movement of the nozzle and its piston. This is to prevent entrance of operating fluid from the cylinder into the internal passages of the nozzle when the latter is raised.

Various changes in and modifications of the illustrative simple form of structure shown in the drawings will readily occur to those skilled in the art and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details of the device as illustrated and as herein particularly described.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for surface treating a glass bottle or like hollow glass article, an elongate nozzle comprising means defining a longitudinally extending passage having a series of spaced holes in its wall and another longitudinally extending passage extending alongside the first passage and also having a series of holes in its wall, said nozzle being adapted to project into a hollow glass article to be treated nearly to the bottom of such article, means operatively connected with said first named passage to supply a mixture of air and a 'combustible gas under pressure thereto, valve means operable to independently control the supply of gas and air components respectively, of said mixture and to shut off the supply of combustible gas to said first named passage while continuing to supply air thereto, and means to supply air under pressure to said second named longitudinal passage.

2. Apparatus as specified by claim 1 and, in addition, an outer elongate nozzle spaced from said first nozzle so as to be adapted to extend alongside the hollow glass article into which the iirst named nozzle projects, said outer nozzle having a longitudinally extending passage therein provided with spaced holes in the wall thereof next to the hollow glass article, means for supplying a mixture of air and combustible gas under pressure to the passage of said outer nozzle, and means for independently controlling the supply of the air and gas components of the last named mixture so that said gas component may be shut off while the supply of the air component to the last named passage is continued.

CHARLES E. MONGANJR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 397,593 Hassman Feb. 12, 1889 842,233 McLane Jan. 29, 1907 962,863 Sanford June 28, 1910 2,106,193 Sloan Jan. 25, 1938 2,180,737 Hess Nov. 21, 1939 2,194,760 Long Mar. 26, 1940 2,197,550 Hinsey Apr. 16, 1940 2,209,252 Stewart et al. July 23, 1940 2,213,327 Mott et al. Oct. 22, 1940 2,223,124 Owen Nov. 26, 1940 2,269,060 Mitford Jan. 6, 1942 2,275,155 Mongan, Jr. Mar. 3,1942 2,309,290 Aksomitas Jan. 26, 1943 2,361,484 Lansinger Oct. 31, 1944 2.403,761 Shorter July 9, 1946 

